Mind of a Marauder
by Zaion Indulias
Summary: A series of glimpses and previews of fic ideas I've developed. Written to get them out of my head and showcase them. Maybe some brave soul will be intrigued and contact me for permission to pick one up, hmm? Intrigued you are, yes.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the universes to be presented herein. All are property of their respective creators/rights holders with the possible exception of the occasional OC. Those are usually my children. Or those of my betas and friends. (Brain children of course)

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**Author's Introduction**: Welcome to 'Mindset of a Marauder'. Frankly, I couldn't think of a better name for it. Anyone want to suggest one, I may rename it. Until then, that is what this shall be called. Lately I get very little time to actually write, severely impacting my ability to produce chapters to my fics. Yet every morning at work (4am in the bakery) I come up with more and more ideas for stories. So, rather than have them float in my head and distract me, I decided to put the ideas down on paper, presenting summaries, scenes, etc. Thus each chapter of this will be an individual story being presented. No one, and I repeat no one, has permission to steal or use these ideas. If one of them speaks to you, you may contact me to negotiate permission to use it, but if anyone finds these ideas being jacked, let me know so I can punish the offender. The only reason I'm not writing them fully myself is I have too many other stories to complete, and nowhere near enough time to write.

With that said, I present to you 'Spiral: Birth of the Comedian', which is Part 1 in a trilogy idea I came up with recently. Parts II and III are aptly and most likely to be named 'Spiral: Why We Hate' and 'Spiral: Betrayal Beyond'.

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**Spiral: Birth of the Comedian**

**Prologue: Consequences of Betrayal**

Plop. Plop plop.

The rain fell lightly on the Valley of the End as the dark energies radiating from the center of it slowly faded away. Two figures lay on the bank of the river, the ground around them scorched and shattered, both figures covered in blood. Slowly one of the figures struggled to his feet, his eyes dark as he stared down at his fallen foe.

"Dobe...why did you have to leave? You knew we were both behind you, both ready to fight by your side. Why did you have to betray all of us?" The figure asked as he shuddered. "We were your friends!!" He screamed to the heavens as Uchiha Sasuke lay on the ground bleeding, practically every bone in his body shattered.

It was clear to anyone watching that Uzumaki Naruto had crippled the last Uchiha. It was very clear to those who were in fact watching at that very moment.

"Hmm, it looks that Naruto does not need our help after all. He managed to stop the Uchiha boy all by himself." The smaller of two figures said from the nearby bushes.

_That Demon! To think I deigned to train him at all, just so he could aid the Uchiha in his desires, and this is how he repays my kindness? By destroying Sasuke? I'll kill him!!!_

The sound of chirping birds suddenly filled the air.

"Kakashi, why are you charging a Chidori?" Pakkun asked in surprise moments before Kakashi ended the summon, sending the dog away in a burst of smoke.

Naruto was barely able to dodge out of the way as Kakashi's Chidori shredded the air where Naruto's chest had just been. As it was Naruto's left arm was left limp and practically useless as he dodge away.

"Kakashi-sensei! What the hell are you doing?!" Naruto yelled, still trying to come to term with his teammate's betrayal, and that Sasuke had fully intended to kill him.

"You bastard Demon!" Kakashi roared. "You were supposed to help him! Instead you've ruined his life! First sensei and Rin, now Sasuke! I won't let you kill anyone else! Die!!"

Naruto's eyes widened as Kakashi's Chidori roared to full strength once more.

_Kakashi-sensei!?! You too?!!_

Within Naruto something broke, and his eyes darkened. His sensei, one of his few precious people and one of the few people he trusted implicitly, had betrayed him. Slowly his mind thought back, to every slight, every threat, every betrayal anyone had ever made towards him, even as the darkness and desperation within him rose and rose. To Sarutobi, failing to keep him safe as a child, and failing to tell him of his heritage. To Sakura, always chasing Sasuke and never giving him the time of day even though he would have done anything for her. To Mizuki, Kabuto, and many many others.

As Kakashi seemed to slow down as he approached Naruto raised his right arm and formed a one-handed seal, one he had learned from the Forbidden Scroll that night a year ago when he had learned the truth about the seals on his stomach.

"Hiraishin." He whispered inaudibly as he performed the technique for the first time, taking the risk because anything outcome would be better than sitting here waiting for Kakashi to end his life.

As Naruto vanished in a burst of intense blue light Kakashi was thrown backwards, his Chidori backfiring and frying his right arm. As he crashed into the cliff face and slumped to the ground his eyes widened. There was no sign of Naruto anywhere.

On top of a nearby cliff Zetsu frowned.

"_Leader is not going to like this..._**...not one bit.**"

Elsewhere, in another time, another place, another world, a burst of blue light and energy flared into existence in a dark grimy alley. The nearest walls and the ground blackened under the force of the energy before it collapsed in upon itself, dropping a bleeding figure to his knees in the wet alley. As he knelt, fighting to catch his breath and resist the pain using the incomplete technique prematurely had caused, he failed to notice the single dark-cloaked figure approaching, drawn by the light and burst of power. Slowly the figure stalked through the shadows towards him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A little lost cub perhaps? Or perhaps some sort of demon, drawn to this Earth to sow chaos?" A high pitched voice cackled, filled with dark humor.

Naruto looked up into a pair of insane eyes, set in a face artificially pale sitting under artificially green hair, with a grin a mile wide. He looked deep into those eyes and saw a kindred soul. One to whom the entire world is nothing but an enemy. No, this man was even further down the path of betrayal than even he. To him, the entire world was nothing but a plaything.

As the strange man offered Naruto a hand up Naruto made a decision.

_His eyes...I shall go with him...perhaps he can help me...but I will never forget this pain...this pain of betrayal...I can never trust anyone again..._

As Naruto took the hand with his newly healed left arm and stood up a voice deep within the back of his mind cackled.

The Kyuubi's days may have been numbered, but he would enjoy each one to the fullest if his host proved to be as entertaining as he predicted.

No one in Gotham would be aware of it for more than two years, but that night a new menace had been born. The Joker was just plain insane. The Comedian, on the other hand, was as sane as they come.

The one sane person in a world of betrayal and insanity.

_**Fin**_

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I hope you all enjoyed this first preview of one of my new ideas. Now, the summary, as promised. Keep in mind, this takes place in the DC Animated Universe (Batman, Superman, Justice League, JLU, Static Shock, Batman Beyond).

'Spiral' is the story of Uzumaki Naruto, trapped by an incomplete jutsu used to escape certain death at the hand of his betrayer he finds himself in Gotham City, being trained by the Joker himself.

Two years later a blond teenager about 15-16 years old appears on the scene, taunting Bruce in real life (though he doesn't realize it) while simultaneously setting up clues in a deadly game of Chess. When Batman discovers the Endgame and moves to checkmate this new 'Comedian', he finds Joker. This unfortunately distracts the Bat, since Joker is not the instigator of this little game, but merely an audience member. The Comedian has been leaving yellow smiley face buttons as his calling card, and has led Batman into a trap. While Batman escapes, it is not without injury or consequence. A few more arcs, including the Comedian facing other heroes and even a few villains, leads to the incident portrayed in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, where Robin is screwed with by Joker just before Batman kills the Joker. After the Joker's death the Comedian appears, but gone is the dark humor he always had. He is nothing but serious. He hints to the Bats about what Joker just did, and tells him that what Joker has done crossed a line he would never cross. He tells him that the Joker has merely shown him that he was right to never trust anyone. He tells Batman not to worry, that from this day forth the Comedian is no more. The Comedian has died, and all that is left...is 'Spiral'.

Part II : 'Spiral: Why We Hate"

During the Hawk invasion of Justice League a thief known as 'Spiral' shows up and helps the Justice League save the world, although he clashes with Batman and Bruce is very suspicious of him. Since the Comedian never revealed any super powers beyond his enhanced speed and strength and his 'Doppleganger' technique (a single shadow clone) Batman is not sure he is the Comedian until towards the end, when he uses Mass Kage Bunshin to aid in the fight. However, when Batman tries to apprehend him he allows it only to talk to him. Then, when he's had his fun, he says a cocky goodbye and then vanishes in a spiral of blue light, his trademark techniques all having something to do with Spiraling blue light. He appears again during parts of Justice League Unlimited, assisting the JLU although he is not officially a member as he is technically a thief. The entire arc will delve into the source of human conflict, and why people hate one another. It will also deal with Naruto's continued analysis of the human race and his final conclusion that hatred is ingrained into sentient beings, and is not something that can be excised without destroying what makes them human.

Part III: 'Spiral: Betrayal Beyond'

Set during Batman Beyond, shortly after becoming the new Bat Terry McGinness meets a new transfer student named Namikaze Naruto. The blond haired teen is a wild card, and speaks to Terry's inner troubled teen. At first Naruto is completely unaware his new friend is Batman's new replacement, but he figures it out eventually when the pair end up clashing when Naruto, for fun's sake, starts stealing chemicals in an attempt to foil Ink's plans. Spiral developed a habit of stealing only from criminals, and even foiling other thieves and returning their marks property afterwards. This leads him to encounter Batman many times, before he eventually begins helping him directly. Eventually Batman captures Spiral, initially thinking that he is the son or grandson of the Comedian, only to discover that he was the Comedian, just ageless thanks to some of the gifts the fox left him. Spiral and him converse, where Batman challenges why he keeps claiming to be an ally when he keeps picking fights with Terry. After some witty retorts Naruto gets fed up with his hints not being understood and flat out tells Bats "You were the best of us, Bruce. Sure, revenge motivated you to a degree, but it was an abstract. You thought to protect, you always gave of yourself. Your cowl isn't your mask. Bruce Wayne is the mask. I'm just working to ensure that your son is able to measure up. A world without Batman." Here Naruto laughs. "That is a world I do not look forward to." He grins cheekily and vanishes in his spiral escape again.

The story would continue with the story, leading to the Return of the Joker, which would end the story, with the Comedian finishing the job of taking out the Joker.

Anyways, there you have it, the first preview of Spiral. Perhaps, when I finish one of my other stories I will get to it, or perhaps some brave author will ask permission to pick this story up.


	2. Chapter 2: Riddle's Gambit

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the universes to be presented herein. All are property of their respective creators/rights holders with the possible exception of the occasional OC. Those are usually my children. Or those of my betas and friends. (Brain children of course)

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**Author's Introduction**: Everyone always writes fics with Harry dieing and being given a second chance, Harry accidentally going back in time, Harry losing everything and killing himself to go back, etc, etc. But has anyone ever wondered just what would happen if the situation was reversed? If it were Harry who were winning the war, and Voldemort who desperately tried to go back, just what would the consequences be? Especially, if Harry caught wind he was up to something, and got dragged back as well. Welcome, to Riddle's Gambit. Not all gambles turn out good for the one making them.

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**Riddle's Gambit**

**or**

**Why Harry Potter REALLY Hates Tom Marvolo Riddle's Guts**

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**December 21st, 2009, Winter Solstice**

Harry Potter was not in a good mood. He had been happily on his way to Australia to spend Christmas with one Luna Lovegood hunting 'imaginary' creatures and having a gay old time (Read: shagging Ms. Lovegood's brains out) when his most senior elite Auror contacted him to inform him that the Dork Lord Voldemort had finally surfaced again.

_It's about damn time, but did he have to do it just when I was about to get some nookie? That bastard has the worst timing ever!_

Harry was currently flying on his Starbolt racing broom, speeding through Wiltshire county in England in a breakneck race to Stonehenge.

_Rituals. Why does that bastard always have to use rituals? He knows we always catch him before he can do anything with them. The last time he successfully completed one was when he resurrected himself using my blood. Since then I've kicked his ass at every turn. Why doesn't the bastard just give up?_

Harry had been lucky since that disastrous night Cedric had died. He had resolved to never lose in the war against Voldemort again, and he had kept that vow. He had trained, and trained, and trained some more until no one, not even Dumbledore, could stand against him. And what did he do with all this power?

Kick butt, take names, and get laid.

Hell, the only reason he hadn't just completely wiped Voldemort out already was because the snake WAS good at hiding. That and the continuing fame Harry was receiving had the side benefit of getting him laid with extreme regularity.

As Stonehenge came into view Harry frowned and urged a little more speed out of his broom.

_Bloody hell._

Floating in the air above Stonehenge was a swirling black portal. Harry couldn't tell what its purpose was, but he could tell it wasn't good. It radiated more energy than he had ever felt before in his life and from the way the nearby plant life was dieing it was probably draining the energy from the land itself.

_What the hell is that?!_

Standing in the center of Stonehenge, energies swirling around him as he waved his wand as if directing this symphony of chaos, was Voldemort. Of course, he looked very little like the commanding figure Harry had faced in the graveyard of Little Hangleton and defeated again in the Department of Mysteries a year later. The years that had been so kind to Harry had been the exact opposite to Voldemort. The once proud Dark Lord now wore battered, patch-work robes. His face was crisscrossed by a pattern of scars, visible reminders of his past clashes with Harry. His eyes glowed red inside their sockets, his face gaunt and snakelike.

As Harry dropped lower to avoid the swirling vortex he drew his wand and brought Voldemort into his sights. But sadly, just as he was about to launch a _sectumsempra_ to disrupt Voldemort's casting the patchwork-robed figure spun and shot a wide-eyed look towards Harry. Despite the distance between them Harry could still read Voldemort's lips just before the figure blurred into a black cloud and shot up into the air and into the swirling vortex.

_Not this time, Potter._

If Harry had been anyone else he would have hesitated as he saw the swirling vortex of darkness swallow Voldemort up, that hesitation costing the human race everything. But he wasn't. He was Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, The-Chosen-One, He-Whose-Name-Must-Always-Be-Hyphenated. When it came to Voldemort he had learned long ago to never hesitate and things would work out. So he leaned forward and gunned his broom, pushing it as hard as he could as he swept towards the rapidly closing vortex. Somehow he just knew that if he didn't follow Voldemort everything was doomed. Pulsing swirling vortexes of dark light are never a good thing after all.

Curving up and shooting into the opening he was surprised to find himself in a spiraling chaotic tunnel, dark lightning blasting around at random and making it tough for Harry to follow the already distant blur that was Voldemort. But press on he did, driving forward with everything he had. Even as he did he could feel the near misses from lightning causing the hair on his arms and the back of his neck to rise, a tingling sensation flowing along his skin.

After a few minutes, just as Harry was catching up to Voldemort, the end of the tunnel suddenly came into view, a darkly spinning vortex leading out to a dark field of grass and weeds. Harry had no idea where this portal was leading, but he had the sinking suspicion that if he didn't stop Voldemort before he reached the end of the tunnel all was lost. Narrowing his eyes he drew his wand and focused as much magic as he could into it.

_One chance. I've got one chance at this._

Unbidden the images of three women appeared before his eyes, the smiling faces of Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and Gabrielle Delacour. The three women who made his life worth living. Instinct took over as he felt happiness well up within him.

_For them, I will ensure that this time is the last time Voldemort tries anything.  
_

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!!"

With a loud cry Harry let loose with one singular spell. The irony that this spell would be what finished Voldemort was certainly not lost on The-Boy-Who-Lived as he and Voldemort's collapsing form came roaring out of the vortex, Harry slowing his descent to land lightly while Voldemort crashed into the ground. As Harry landed lightly, his wand still aimed at Voldemort's head, the dying Dark Lord coughed and looked up at Harry with cold eyes.

"Well, Potter, it appears that you have finally won. But it is I who will have the last laugh. For while you may have stopped me *cough* I will ensure that you never rise to the power you have. You may have won this battle, but I shall win the war."

With his last breath Voldemort suddenly raised his wand and soundlessly cast a spell. An orb of sickly red light shot forth and Harry dodged to the side, only to find that Voldemort had not been aiming at him at all. Instead, the blast shot off into the sky, curving to the east from where he lay on the ground.

"Go, Harry Potter. Just try to stop my revenge. *cough* I will have my revenge, and your world shall fa-" Voldemort's voice failed in mid-sentence as he collapsed to the ground, dead.

Harry was already in the air, chasing after the spell on his broom. Thus he was not present to witness as Voldemort's body dissolved into dark sickly green energy and dissipated in a flash, a dark wind flowing forth from the ring of stones that was Stonehenge.

Meanwhile Harry frantically chased the glowing red spell, trying everything he could to stop it. Everything from shields cast before it to objects conjured in its path to counterspells, nothing worked. He was beginning to get desperate as the terrain was beginning to look familiar.

_Wait, wasn't that church destroyed during the war...?_ Harry wondered as he shot past an old church. _And that bridge. I know that bridge was destroyed last year during Voldemort's last uprising. What the hell is going on?_

When the spell suddenly changed direction and shot towards the ground Harry banked and shot after it, his desperation growing. Whatever the spells target, its sudden change of vector was surely a sign it was homing in on it. As Harry followed its trajectory towards the ground his eyes widened in shock.

_That's...Oh my god!_

Without even thinking Harry pushed forward, his last thought as she dove into the beam of red light and absorbed it into his own body an apology to those he loved.

_Luna, Ginny, Gabrielle, I'm sorry. I won't be there for Christmas this year._

With a burst of red energy Harry Potter fell from the sky, crashing into the front yard of Number Four Privet Drive. His dead and broken body lay bleeding on the perfectly trimmed grass, but the incident went completely unnoticed by the residents of Privet Drive.

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In the darkened house of Number Four Privet Drive, in the cupboard under the stairs, Harry James Potter, age six, sat up with a start. He was sweating and breathing heavily, memories of darkness and red light swirling hazily as he fought to figure out where he was. When he finally noticed the faint moonlight leaking under the edge of the door and his memories resolved themselves he groaned. Waving his hand before him there was a faint click and the door of the cupboard swung open.

Silent as a mouse Harry James Potter crept out of the cupboard and made his way towards the front door. Waving his hand before him once more all sound seemed to disappear. Taking a hold of the doorknob he turned the lock and opened the door, making absolutely no sound as the silencing spell he had cast did its work. Stepping out into the moonlit night Harry frowned at the sight of his dead and broken body, a look that did not match his scrawny six year old form. After a few moments of thought he sighed and stepped forward, rummaging quickly in his dead body's robes and removing his wand, a small mokeskin bag, and a small black-metal case with a muggle combination lock on it.

Stepping back he looked down at his dead body with his narrowed eyes for a moment before waving his wand, a silently cast spell causing the entire body and all trace it had ever been there to dissolve into water. When Petunia woke in the morning all she would find would be a strange tear in her yard coinciding with a puddle of mud.

As he finally took stock of his new body Harry's frown deepened. He took in his scrawny six year old form and his dirty and tattered hand-me-downs, six sizes too large for his skinny frame, and growled slightly. It was a far cry from his twenty nine year old fit physique and his form-fitting custom-made clothes.

Harry's first words in his 'new six-year old body echoed along Privet Drive, unheard as no one was awake to hear them.

"Bloody hell. How the fuck am I supposed to get laid now?"

Although no one knew it yet, on this day their world was changed forever.

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Somewhere in Albania a dark spirit, surviving by hijacking the bodies of snakes and consuming rats, shivered as he felt several of the dark bonds upon his soul breaking. The spirit, currently inhabiting a species of black venomous snakes, opened its eyes as wide as possible in horror.

_No....The Mark....My Horcruxes!!!_

The hissing cry of anguish that went forth into the night scared many of the nearby vermin dead, a fact the spirit would discover shortly when he satisfied his gullet. That, however, would not improve his mood any further.

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All around Great Britain objects of great power shivered as the bonds connecting them were broken, the disrupting influence of the Dark Lord Voldemort's final death breaking the bonds between the lost fragments of his soul.

In a vault in Gringotts a golden jewel-encrusted cup flickered, the reflection of a pale snake-eyed man grinning evilly out from its surface.

In Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, hidden in a House Elf's cupboard, a silver locket shuddered violently.

In Essex, hidden under the floor of the drawing room of a prominent pureblood family, a black-covered diary fell open, words flowing across the open pages in black ink.

Near the town of Little Hangleton, hidden in the remains of the Gaunt family residence, a black stone ring began to glow ominously with a green light.

At Hogwarts, hidden in the Room of Requirement, a gem-studded Tiara shuddered and fell off a bust of Rowena Ravenclaw, glinting ominously in the darkness.

At Number Four Privet Drive Harry Potter frowned and focused his magic inward. Moments later a fragment of green energy was cast out of the scar upon his forehead. However, as Harry turned away he failed to note that the green light did not simply vanish as he had anticipated. Instead the light shot off towards the west. As Harry Potter reentered Number Four Privet Drive the fragment of green light came to ground in the middle of the Surrey Zoo, diving straight into the reptile house. Within one of the enclosures a Bushmaster, one of the most dangerous snakes in the New World, was bathed in a green light. When it looked up its eyes had changed, taking on a reddish tint. The snake hissed.

_Fuck...How am I supposed to get laid now! Damn you Voldemort!!! Damn you!!!_

Unbeknown to Harry James Potter, Age Six, of Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, he had gained an inadvertent ally. The part of himself that had inhabited the young body prior to his arrival had been fused with the inhabiting part of Voldemort's soul, taking an imprint of adult Harry himself along with him. Whether this would prove to be an advantage to the now-young Dark Wizard hunter however is still to be seen.

**_Fin_**

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Here you go, another installment of "Mind of a Marauder". This particular idea came to me at about 5:30 AM while at work one day. I just thought "Hey, people are always writing fics where things go to crap and Harry goes back in time to fix it. But what if things hadn't gone to crap? What if they had in fact been GOOD? And then what if Voldemort, in a last ditch effort to win, tried to go back in time and Harry got dragged with him? Surely the Boy-Who-Lived wouldn't be crowing about second chances. No, he'd be plain and simply pissed that Voldemort had messed up his holiday plans...again. I don't wish to spoil too much of the planned ideas for this story to readers (except those who might be interested in negotiating to pick this story up) but the separation of the soul fragments will be important and come into play later in the story. After all, what's an overpowered hero without overpowered antagonists to fight with, ne?

The Diary will eventually possess a Hogwarts student, absorbing their life and freeing fragment one of Riddle's soul.

The Diadem will eventually possess a Hogwarts professor, controlling him/her to be as a puppet. The professor however will die when the Diadem is destroyed.

The Cup will likewise be used to possess someone, though this time intentionally and willingly on the part of the sacrificial subject, whos' body will be transformed into essentially a female Voldemort.

The Ring will corrupt numerous students who encounter it, freeing them only upon its destruction.

The Locket will be turned into a tuning fork for Harry to track down the rest.

The snake will become Harry's ally and hindrance all in the same package (perverted peeping tom snake).

Voldemort's main soul will be resurrected, and he will create a new Horcrux to ensure his survival.

The objects contained within the mysterious muggle case and the mokeskin bag will be the key to Harry setting himself up independently early on. More importantly, key to why Dumbledore never suspects anything is up with Harry until he arrives at Hogwarts. For now, I will leave you all guessing as to the contents of those two objects.

The fight wages on...and all Harry wants is to get laid.


End file.
